Jasper Stuyven: “I could do it with my eyes closed”
April 10 th 2025 - 11:01
THE UNBREAKABLES (V/V)
Previous episodes
. Chiara Consonni: “It’s a crazy race, like me!”
. Oliver Naesen: "In the Trouée d'Arenberg, no matter where I put my wheels, I flat!"
. Margaux Vigié : "I'm just kind to the cobblestones"
. John Degenkolb : "It's in me"
Paris–Roubaix is a race for specialists, perhaps the most untameable of the classics and certainly the one with the most severe physical and technical requirements. Its cruelty and harshness frighten some but also inspire many others, who make it the highlight of their season. A select few of these regulars have a 100% finish rate, but what is their secret to consistently completing the course? John Degenkolb, Jasper Stuyven and Oliver Naesen have never had to withdraw from the Queen of Classics, and the same goes for Margaux Vigié and Chiara Consonni, who have finished the first four editions of Paris–Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift. They told paris-roubaix.fr the details of their preparation, their technique for riding on the cobblestones, their little tricks and even the mental aspect of this challenge, which they have mastered a little better than the others.
The rainbow jersey radiated in its full splendour last year in Roubaix, as World Champions Mathieu van der Poel and Lotte Kopecky conquered the Hell of the North. The iridescent icons followed the likes of Peter Sagan and many other stars who have ruled the cobbles clad in their prestigious kit. But when it comes to Paris-Roubaix Junior, established in 2003, only one world champion has displayed his rainbow stripes as a winner in the André-Pétrieux velodrome: Jasper Stuyven, in 2010. It was love at first sight for the Flandrien, who didn’t want to come but actually discovered the unique atmosphere of the Queen of Classics. He has, since then, returned for two editions of the U23 event and is now heading for a tenth participation with the pros. His record shows an outstanding consistency, two top-5 finishes and no abandon. With his toughness and skills, Stuyven perfectly navigates the traps of the Hell of the North and, with his reputation of always delivering on big rendezvous, he is among the top contenders to shine this week-end.
Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek)
Born on 17 April 1992 in Leuven (Flanders, Belgium)
Teams: Trek Factory Racing, Trek-Segafredo, Lidl-Trek (since 2014)
Major wins:
Milano-Sanremo 2021
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2020
Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne 2016
Deutschland Tour 2019
1 stage of La Vuelta (2015)
2 stages of the BinckBank Tour (2017, 2018)
Results in Paris-Roubaix:
2014: 55th / 2015: 49th / 2016: 39th / 2017: 4th / 2018: 5th / 2019: 27th / 2021: 25th / 2022: 7th / 2023: 20th
Distinctive feature: Everyone wonders what Tadej Pogacar can do in his first Paris-Roubaix but Jasper Stuyven has a pretty good idea of the Slovenian’s abilities on flat cobbled courses, after he powered away from the peloton with him on stage 5 of the Tour 2022, finishing in Arenberg. “I was not really surprised to see him with me”, he assures. “I think he can do everything and he’s for sure a big contender this week-end.”
THE PREP: “THERE’S A HIGH FOCUS ON EQUIPMENT”
“I have to say Roubaix is one of the few races I could do with my eyes closed.” Apart from a few slight adjustments, the course of the Queen of Classics is well established and with 12 participations under his belt (including the Junior and U23 races), Jasper Stuyven is among the most experienced riders in Paris-Roubaix, but not one to skip the traditional recons to get into the Hell of the North. “It’s always good to refresh your memory”, he explains. “And sometimes, you have different tyres, different wheels, so of course you want to make sure you’re confident with the choices you made.”
Now in his 12th professional season, the Belgian star has been the man of one team, Lidl-Trek, who ruled the first two editions of Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift and always play a major part in the men’s race. “There’s a high focus on equipment and they have put a lot of effort to give us the best setup possible”, Stuyven says. “And the last years, they have delivered that step, which is very nice.”
In this spring campaign, the team have offered their riders the possibility to race with a single chainring. “I didn’t use it in the Flemish classic but I will be using it for Roubaix, because there’s no need for smaller gears there”, Stuyven says. “You only need a big ring and it’s very reliable in shifting. It’s my personal choice and I think it’s better in Roubaix than in Flanders for the type of rider that I am.”
THE COBBLES: “I TRY TO ANTICIPATE”
A true Flandrien, Stuyven holds the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix in high esteem: “They are specific, not in every sector, but they have something brutal.” Yet, Stuyven appears to have tamed them, with his consistent results in the Hell of the North and a significant data: he’s only crashed once in all his participations! “It was during the rainy edition, so 2021”, he remembers. “Actually I was at the car and there was miscommunication between me and the mechanics, and that’s the reason I crashed.”
“I’m not going to say I’m more skilled!”, he smiles. “Maybe a bit more luck… I hope to keep it that way, that’s for sure.”
According to him, there are no big secrets as to how to handle the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix: “The better your legs are, the easier it is to get over. The key is not to lose momentum. If you lose momentum on the cobbles, it can be really shit. I try to anticipate stones that are sticking out or holes that are coming up.”
THE MENTAL: “YOU NEED TO BE CONCENTRATED FROM THE START”
Many have described a love - hate relationship with Paris-Roubaix, a prestigious and taxing challenge, but for Stuyven, it’s just about love. “I understand the idea”, he acknowledges. “These roads are not the nicest to do on a recon day, with headwind… Then I really feel like it’s not the most fun day on a bike. But besides that, okay, I’ve had some bad luck in Roubaix, punctures at bad moments, but I have to say I don’t carry any sort of hate. I think there were editions that went better for me, others where it’s been tough love.”
Like anyone, Stuyven had his struggles in the Hell of the North. But he knows what he gets into and accepts what comes his way: “Every classic is a mental fight and Roubaix for sure is one where you need to be concentrated from the start until the end. I try to get there with the best mental focus and the best legs possible. And because it’s a period where you are hoping to be at your peak form, it also increases your chances of having a good day.”
THE ABANDON: “AS LONG AS IT’S POSSIBLE, I CONTINUE”
Stuyven is a hard man to break, as he’s shown since the beginning of his career. Take his first professional win, stage 8 of La Vuelta 2015 - he had broken a scaphoid in a crash with 50 kilometres to go and still sprinted to victory in Murcia before withdrawing the next day. In Roubaix, he’s never abandoned, and the same goes with the Ronde van Vlaanderen, the other cobbled Monument.
“In my first year, I was told to try just to finish these races because, as a young rider, it will give you something for later on and you’ll have the satisfaction to have made it, after all the hard work”, he explains. I kept that in mind for my first participation and then I was more in contention to get results.”
“Anyway, I always try to finish my races. It’s not always the most fun but even if I end up in a situation where I’m not where I thought I would be, I just try to make it to the finish”, Stuyven adds. “It’s not the worst to keep going, even if you’re far behind. In a crash, it would be different but, as long as it’s possible, I like to continue. Of course, sometimes you’re sick or a really unpleasant situation arises but it hasn’t been the case for me in Roubaix and I hope it won’t be the case in the future either.”
THE EXTRA: “THERE ARE LOTS OF BELGIANS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROADS”
How does the sparkle of love arise? “Actually, I didn’t want to race Paris-Roubaix as a Junior”, he explains with a smile. “At that time, your parents pay the bills and I didn’t see the benefits of destroying a bike or wheels on these cobbles, or asking my parents to invest in specific equipment. I actually did it because of other riders who told me: ‘You have to do it because of the atmosphere’.”
So Stuyven went… “I did the recon on the Thursday and I had a great feeling on the cobbles. And then, what contributed to this special connection is not only that I won the junior race as the world champion but also, as a Belgian, this is a day where we get a lot more people to cheer for us than we’ve ever experienced. It’s on the same day as the professional race and there are lots of Belgians on the side of the roads that day. When they see the Belgian national jersey, they cheer you on. And on top of that, I was the world champion, so they gave me that extra boost to victory.”
“From then on, I was in love and the passion hasn’t gone away”, he sums up.